One Night Part 3
Title: One Night
Author: Concupid
Pairing: Howard/Vince
Rating: NC-17
Warnings; dicks doth touch!, angst
Summary: Howard makes a hell of a gesture.
Author’s Note: I really appreciate the feedback and general encouragement. Here’s some angst and smut.
For a moment, Vince thought Howard was going to propose. When Howard began to fiddle with Vince’s belt, he realized the Northerner had another reason for being on his knees. When he said ‘a gesture’, he hadn’t been thinking of a blow job, but he had to admit it was a pretty damn enticing gesture.
“Do I need a key to get into your trousers?” Howard grumbled. “What are you wearing?”
Vince undid his belt and trousers before Howard had time to get any crankier. He didn’t want anyone’s angry mouth near his knob. The general crotch area was meant to be a happy place.
Howard tugged Vince’s pants and trousers down to his knees, leaving Vince feeling awkward and overly exposed. If he had to make a run for it - say if a bear broke in through the window - he’d be as good as dead with his clothes trapped around his knees and his bits flapping in the wind. Even the feeling of Howard’s warm breath on his cock couldn’t make him forget his bare arse was pressed against Leroy’s fancy sink.
“You sure you want to… Oh Christy.”
Vince closed his eyes and tried to keep still as Howard began licking his cock, alternating tiny flicks of his tongue with long and slow licks. It wasn’t anything like in pornos or real life, so Vince figured Howard’s technique must be from a book.
Although it was strange and a little tickly, it was also a tongue on his cock and Vince was almost immediately concerned that things were getting out of hand.
“Might want to slow down there, Howard…”
Instead of heeding his words, Howard wrapped his hand around Vince’s cock and took it into his mouth. Vince watched Howard sucking him and tried to save the image for some sad, later day when he needed wank material. He’d had fantasies about Howard sucking him off, but he wasn’t prepared for the obscene slurping sounds or the way Howard’s scent was filling his nostrils or the warmth of Howard’s hand and mouth. It was all too real, and Vince felt overwhelmed.
“Slow down there,” he whispered, resisting the urge to buck into Howard’s warm and welcoming mouth. “No need to rush.”
Howard let Vince fall from his mouth and gazed up at him with a quizzical expression. Vince was about to dismiss his concern when Howard, very slowly and deliberately, licked his middle finger. He took his time reaching around to Vince’s bare arse, so there was no reason for Vince to be surprised by the wet finger pressing against his entrance, and yet he was still caught off guard.
“I thought you’d want to start slow,” Vince teased as Howard carefully worked the tip of his finger inside. “Maybe kissing or… Christ… something…”
Howard took Vince back into his mouth, jerking him with one hand and fingering his arse with the other. Vince wanted to kick off the rest of his trousers so he could spread his legs, but he was feeling hogtied by his drainpipes.
“You’re doing it wrong,” Vince snapped. “You either need to leave my trousers up or take them off. You can’t have me all trussed up like this. Don’t you know anything?”
Vince couldn’t bear to look Howard in the face. Whether Howard was hurt or disinterested, it wasn’t going to make Vince happy. He focused on battling his way out of his trousers and boots until he was naked from the waist down.
“That’s better,” Vince announced, pulling a shape for Howard.
Instead of continuing the blow job, Howard stood up. Vince was about to apologize for his earlier outburst, but Howard picked him up and deposited him on the tiny counter next to the sink. The chrome was cold against his rear end, but he had no thoughts of moving. He passively let Howard position him until he was awkwardly propped against the wall with his legs spread wide and all of his relevant bits were on full display. Howard gently stroked his belly before moving down to stroke his cock with one hand and sliding his finger back inside of Vince’s body.
“There’s got to be some lube in here,” Vince whispered, unable to look Howard in the eye. “Leroy is all about anal.”
Howard tutted, but he kept his finger inside of Vince as he searched the medicine cabinet. Unsurprisingly, he was almost immediately successful.
“You know what you’re doing, Howard?” Vince asked as he tried to figure out how to get the upper hand while spread out like Christmas dinner on a too small ledge. He was already worried about getting a cramp or his ass going numb from the awkward position. There was no way in hell he was going to be the awkward one during Howard’s first time.
Howard drizzled some cold lubricant around his finger as he continued his gentle strokes.
“I’ve done some research.”
Howard’s finger felt good, but it felt better with proper lubricant and Vince felt an intense need for more.
“Put another finger in, quickly,” Vince ordered. It was time to take control of the proceedings.
“Are you…”
“Do it!”
The second finger was a tight fit, but Howard could reach deeper and hit every sensitive spot. Vince was ready to tell Howard to just drop his pants and go for it when…
“Hello? Is anyone in there?”
“No!” Vince yelled as Howard yelled, “Yes.”
“Howard and Vince?” Leroy called back. “What are you doing in there? I need to… wash up.”
“Go away!” Vince yelled as he silently encouraged Howard to keep going. “We’re busy.”
“What are you doing?” Leroy called back. “Is Howard sick? Why isn’t he lecturing me on manners?”
“He’s BUSY!” Vince screamed as tears of frustration formed in his eyes. Howard was staring at the door and looking pale. If Leroy ruined everything, Vince was going to make sure they renamed the art instillation “The Virgin, the Mother, The Crone and the Eunuch”.
“Can I, you know, come in?” Leroy pleaded. “It’s not my usually scene, but it is a party after all…”
Howard was losing his nerve and Vince needed to act quickly. He freed himself of Howard’s fingers and dropped to his knees in front of his friend. Once he had Howard’s cock free, he proceeded to use every trick in his book until Howard was tugging at his hair and whispering for him to ‘ease up.’
“C’mon, guys…” Leroy whined.
Vince mouthed Howard’s balls while his friend pressed both hands to his mouth. He was trying so hard to be quiet; it filled Vince with a mixture of love and fury.
He climbed to his feet, belatedly took off his top and pulled at the back of Howard’s neck until he leaned forward and let Vince whisper in his ear.
“I want you to bend me over that sink and fuck me. Now.”
Howard tripped over his trousers before he remembered to kick them off. Vince laughed as he took his position in front of the sink where he watched Howard’s reflection in the mirror as he fumbled with the lubricant and a condom. Vince could have helped, but Howard wasn’t asking for help. He still wasn’t acknowledging this was one adventure where Vince belonged in the driver’s seat.
When Howard tried to push in, nothing happened, so Vince bent over a bit more to make things easier. Still, Howard seemed to be trying to penetrate a brick wall.
“Maybe more finger… stuff,” Howard whispered as he eyed the bathroom door. Vince was pretty sure Leroy had given up, but Howard was nervous and on edge and that was exactly what Vince wanted.
Vince reached back and fingered himself as Howard watched. It was easy enough to get a third finger inside, since Howard had used enough lube to squeeze a camel through the eye of a needle.
“Can we try the other way?” Howard whispered, finally showing a little deference in his tone. “Like before?”
“Why?” Vince asked even as he turned around.
“It’s just… nicer that way.”
Vince looked at Howard, wearing nothing but a Hawaiian shirt and socks with sandals, and he was very much in love. Everything about Howard was wrong, and Vince loved him for it.
“Whatever you like, Howard.”
“Cheers,” Howard whispered. “For everything.”
The position was more awkward and uncomfortable, but it was easier to help Howard out and it wasn’t long until he was inside of Vince and panting on his naked shoulder. Vince wrapped his arms around Howard and breathed in the smell of his hair and styling product. Vince had pushed things along a bit too quickly to really be comfortable, but he had no interest in slowing down. It was only a matter of time before someone else came knocking.
“Am I hurting you?”
Howard was breaking his heart and pushing his spine into a towel rack, but Vince lied.
“No.”
Howard wrapped his arms around Vince and pulled him tight to his chest and whispered, “Sorry it’s all a bit awkward.”
Howard’s chest was broad and being in his arms made Vince feel all warm and protected, it was just the kind of sappy nonsense he’d been trying to avoid with Howard.
“You can sit down on the toilet and I’ll ride you,” Vince suggested. “It’ll be easier for you and we can still…”
Howard didn’t question him (or make him finish his sentence), he just carefully pulled out and helped Vince down off of the counter. Vince hardly needed help, but he liked when Howard was a gentleman. Howard put a fluffy towel on top of the futuristic toilet before sitting down.
“Bet you never thought your first time would be in a toilet,” Vince teased as he straddled Howard’s lap. “With a man. And wearing socks and sandals. Well, maybe you aren’t that surprised…”
“Don’t be rude,” Howard chastised, still speaking quietly and casting suspicious looks at the door. “You’re not some stranger I picked up in a bog. This isn’t… well, I’ll admit it is a little tawdry. Still, you look very nice tonight and this is a very nice bathroom.”
“Listen to Johnny Smooth-talker,” Vince teased. “You sure you’ve not done this before?”
Howard stared blankly as Vince tried to get himself into position. It made him angry that Howard seemed to have a better hang of bumming than Vince. Vince had been with men and Howard had never gotten past a kiss with Vince.
When the idea came across his brain cell’s desk, it was nearly dismissed as to preposterous to be believed.
But Howard knew what he was doing. When Vince gave Howard his first kiss, the Northerner had been frozen in place and completely awkward. That was how Howard dealt with new experiences.
“Have you done this before?” Vince asked, dearly hoping he was wrong. Howard couldn’t have found someone in Denmark. He couldn’t pull in a room full of horny grans.
Howard’s guilty expression was answer enough.
“Well then, Romeo. I’ll expect you to last longer than a minute,” Vince snipped as he guided Howard’s cock back inside. Howard was a big guy and he felt even bigger in their current position, but Vince refused to take a moment to adjust. If Howard was fucking his way through Denmark, Vince wasn’t about to act like a nervous virgin.
“Slow down, Little Man,” Howard insisted. “You’ll hurt yourself.”
“I think I can take it,” Vince spat back, furious that Howard was being so competent about the whole thing. “I’ve been around.”
Howard didn’t argue, he just wrapped his arms around Vince and held him still. Howard was everywhere, holding him together and smelling like safety.
“Are you crying?”
“I’m not crying, am I?” Vince yelled as he wiped the tears from his face. “I’m probably having an allergic reaction to your ugly shirt.”
“I didn’t… I didn’t go through with it,” Howard murmured directly into his ear. “It was awful, actually.”
Vince had to smile. It was so like Howard to not enjoy sex.
“This isn’t awful?”
Howard smiled.
“This is nice.”
Vince kissed Howard’s forehead. He was finally relaxing and able to truly enjoy having Howard inside of him. The slightest movement made his eyes cross. He usually liked the idea of being a bottom more than the reality, but it felt good when he was feeling safe and at ease and he really only felt that way with Howard.
Howard kissed Vince’s collarbone and chest, tickling and scratching him with his mustache.
It took a few tries to find the right position, but eventually Vince had a foot on a decorative trash can and he was able to move himself with ease. Howard stroked his back and offered him vague encouragements.
“Hmmm… Okay there, Vince,.. Vince?”
“Tell me when you’re close to coming. If I don’t time it right, I’ll get a leg cramp.”
“Really, Vince?”
Vince rolled his eyes, “You’ve got your cock in my arse, I thought we could talk about these things.”
And then, finally, Howard kissed him on the lips. It wasn’t much more skilled than the first time around, but Howard was certainly more relaxed. Vince was hardly moving, but he was already getting close. He ground his cock into Howard’s tummy as they kissed and let Howard pick up the slack.
“Okay, Vince. I’m… well…”
Vince didn’t need to be told twice. He held on tight and gave Howard everything he had. Howard kept trying to put his head on Vince’s shoulder.
“I want to see your face when you come, Howard. Let me watch you.”
Howard promptly dug his fingers into Vince’s hips and obliged. His face was red and a stray lock of hair was stuck to his sweaty forehead. He looked a little feral and crazy, but also a little lost.
Vince brushed his hair back into place.
“You look handsome.”
Howard kept his eyes squeezed closed as he laughed. When he was done shaking, Howard kept his eyes cast downward as he stroked Vince’s still hard cock. No matter how long they were friends, there was always a lingering shyness in Howard that Vince never understood.
Vince kissed Howard until he came in his friend’s hand and on his shirt.
“Well, now it’s a party. Can I finally burn that shirt?” Vince teased even as he reached for a flannel to clean the fabric.
“Never! This is my lucky shirt. I might have it framed.”
Vince ran his fingers through Howard’s hair, enjoying his friend’s docile, post-orgasmic mood.
“So, you gonna tell me about what you got up to in Denmark?”
Howard’s shoulders immediately sagged, and Vince pulled his worn-out friend into a hug.
“You can tell me, Howard. You can tell me anything.”
Author: Concupid
Pairing: Howard/Vince
Rating: NC-17
Warnings; dicks doth touch!, angst
Summary: Howard makes a hell of a gesture.
Author’s Note: I really appreciate the feedback and general encouragement. Here’s some angst and smut.
For a moment, Vince thought Howard was going to propose. When Howard began to fiddle with Vince’s belt, he realized the Northerner had another reason for being on his knees. When he said ‘a gesture’, he hadn’t been thinking of a blow job, but he had to admit it was a pretty damn enticing gesture.
“Do I need a key to get into your trousers?” Howard grumbled. “What are you wearing?”
Vince undid his belt and trousers before Howard had time to get any crankier. He didn’t want anyone’s angry mouth near his knob. The general crotch area was meant to be a happy place.
Howard tugged Vince’s pants and trousers down to his knees, leaving Vince feeling awkward and overly exposed. If he had to make a run for it - say if a bear broke in through the window - he’d be as good as dead with his clothes trapped around his knees and his bits flapping in the wind. Even the feeling of Howard’s warm breath on his cock couldn’t make him forget his bare arse was pressed against Leroy’s fancy sink.
“You sure you want to… Oh Christy.”
Vince closed his eyes and tried to keep still as Howard began licking his cock, alternating tiny flicks of his tongue with long and slow licks. It wasn’t anything like in pornos or real life, so Vince figured Howard’s technique must be from a book.
Although it was strange and a little tickly, it was also a tongue on his cock and Vince was almost immediately concerned that things were getting out of hand.
“Might want to slow down there, Howard…”
Instead of heeding his words, Howard wrapped his hand around Vince’s cock and took it into his mouth. Vince watched Howard sucking him and tried to save the image for some sad, later day when he needed wank material. He’d had fantasies about Howard sucking him off, but he wasn’t prepared for the obscene slurping sounds or the way Howard’s scent was filling his nostrils or the warmth of Howard’s hand and mouth. It was all too real, and Vince felt overwhelmed.
“Slow down there,” he whispered, resisting the urge to buck into Howard’s warm and welcoming mouth. “No need to rush.”
Howard let Vince fall from his mouth and gazed up at him with a quizzical expression. Vince was about to dismiss his concern when Howard, very slowly and deliberately, licked his middle finger. He took his time reaching around to Vince’s bare arse, so there was no reason for Vince to be surprised by the wet finger pressing against his entrance, and yet he was still caught off guard.
“I thought you’d want to start slow,” Vince teased as Howard carefully worked the tip of his finger inside. “Maybe kissing or… Christ… something…”
Howard took Vince back into his mouth, jerking him with one hand and fingering his arse with the other. Vince wanted to kick off the rest of his trousers so he could spread his legs, but he was feeling hogtied by his drainpipes.
“You’re doing it wrong,” Vince snapped. “You either need to leave my trousers up or take them off. You can’t have me all trussed up like this. Don’t you know anything?”
Vince couldn’t bear to look Howard in the face. Whether Howard was hurt or disinterested, it wasn’t going to make Vince happy. He focused on battling his way out of his trousers and boots until he was naked from the waist down.
“That’s better,” Vince announced, pulling a shape for Howard.
Instead of continuing the blow job, Howard stood up. Vince was about to apologize for his earlier outburst, but Howard picked him up and deposited him on the tiny counter next to the sink. The chrome was cold against his rear end, but he had no thoughts of moving. He passively let Howard position him until he was awkwardly propped against the wall with his legs spread wide and all of his relevant bits were on full display. Howard gently stroked his belly before moving down to stroke his cock with one hand and sliding his finger back inside of Vince’s body.
“There’s got to be some lube in here,” Vince whispered, unable to look Howard in the eye. “Leroy is all about anal.”
Howard tutted, but he kept his finger inside of Vince as he searched the medicine cabinet. Unsurprisingly, he was almost immediately successful.
“You know what you’re doing, Howard?” Vince asked as he tried to figure out how to get the upper hand while spread out like Christmas dinner on a too small ledge. He was already worried about getting a cramp or his ass going numb from the awkward position. There was no way in hell he was going to be the awkward one during Howard’s first time.
Howard drizzled some cold lubricant around his finger as he continued his gentle strokes.
“I’ve done some research.”
Howard’s finger felt good, but it felt better with proper lubricant and Vince felt an intense need for more.
“Put another finger in, quickly,” Vince ordered. It was time to take control of the proceedings.
“Are you…”
“Do it!”
The second finger was a tight fit, but Howard could reach deeper and hit every sensitive spot. Vince was ready to tell Howard to just drop his pants and go for it when…
“Hello? Is anyone in there?”
“No!” Vince yelled as Howard yelled, “Yes.”
“Howard and Vince?” Leroy called back. “What are you doing in there? I need to… wash up.”
“Go away!” Vince yelled as he silently encouraged Howard to keep going. “We’re busy.”
“What are you doing?” Leroy called back. “Is Howard sick? Why isn’t he lecturing me on manners?”
“He’s BUSY!” Vince screamed as tears of frustration formed in his eyes. Howard was staring at the door and looking pale. If Leroy ruined everything, Vince was going to make sure they renamed the art instillation “The Virgin, the Mother, The Crone and the Eunuch”.
“Can I, you know, come in?” Leroy pleaded. “It’s not my usually scene, but it is a party after all…”
Howard was losing his nerve and Vince needed to act quickly. He freed himself of Howard’s fingers and dropped to his knees in front of his friend. Once he had Howard’s cock free, he proceeded to use every trick in his book until Howard was tugging at his hair and whispering for him to ‘ease up.’
“C’mon, guys…” Leroy whined.
Vince mouthed Howard’s balls while his friend pressed both hands to his mouth. He was trying so hard to be quiet; it filled Vince with a mixture of love and fury.
He climbed to his feet, belatedly took off his top and pulled at the back of Howard’s neck until he leaned forward and let Vince whisper in his ear.
“I want you to bend me over that sink and fuck me. Now.”
Howard tripped over his trousers before he remembered to kick them off. Vince laughed as he took his position in front of the sink where he watched Howard’s reflection in the mirror as he fumbled with the lubricant and a condom. Vince could have helped, but Howard wasn’t asking for help. He still wasn’t acknowledging this was one adventure where Vince belonged in the driver’s seat.
When Howard tried to push in, nothing happened, so Vince bent over a bit more to make things easier. Still, Howard seemed to be trying to penetrate a brick wall.
“Maybe more finger… stuff,” Howard whispered as he eyed the bathroom door. Vince was pretty sure Leroy had given up, but Howard was nervous and on edge and that was exactly what Vince wanted.
Vince reached back and fingered himself as Howard watched. It was easy enough to get a third finger inside, since Howard had used enough lube to squeeze a camel through the eye of a needle.
“Can we try the other way?” Howard whispered, finally showing a little deference in his tone. “Like before?”
“Why?” Vince asked even as he turned around.
“It’s just… nicer that way.”
Vince looked at Howard, wearing nothing but a Hawaiian shirt and socks with sandals, and he was very much in love. Everything about Howard was wrong, and Vince loved him for it.
“Whatever you like, Howard.”
“Cheers,” Howard whispered. “For everything.”
The position was more awkward and uncomfortable, but it was easier to help Howard out and it wasn’t long until he was inside of Vince and panting on his naked shoulder. Vince wrapped his arms around Howard and breathed in the smell of his hair and styling product. Vince had pushed things along a bit too quickly to really be comfortable, but he had no interest in slowing down. It was only a matter of time before someone else came knocking.
“Am I hurting you?”
Howard was breaking his heart and pushing his spine into a towel rack, but Vince lied.
“No.”
Howard wrapped his arms around Vince and pulled him tight to his chest and whispered, “Sorry it’s all a bit awkward.”
Howard’s chest was broad and being in his arms made Vince feel all warm and protected, it was just the kind of sappy nonsense he’d been trying to avoid with Howard.
“You can sit down on the toilet and I’ll ride you,” Vince suggested. “It’ll be easier for you and we can still…”
Howard didn’t question him (or make him finish his sentence), he just carefully pulled out and helped Vince down off of the counter. Vince hardly needed help, but he liked when Howard was a gentleman. Howard put a fluffy towel on top of the futuristic toilet before sitting down.
“Bet you never thought your first time would be in a toilet,” Vince teased as he straddled Howard’s lap. “With a man. And wearing socks and sandals. Well, maybe you aren’t that surprised…”
“Don’t be rude,” Howard chastised, still speaking quietly and casting suspicious looks at the door. “You’re not some stranger I picked up in a bog. This isn’t… well, I’ll admit it is a little tawdry. Still, you look very nice tonight and this is a very nice bathroom.”
“Listen to Johnny Smooth-talker,” Vince teased. “You sure you’ve not done this before?”
Howard stared blankly as Vince tried to get himself into position. It made him angry that Howard seemed to have a better hang of bumming than Vince. Vince had been with men and Howard had never gotten past a kiss with Vince.
When the idea came across his brain cell’s desk, it was nearly dismissed as to preposterous to be believed.
But Howard knew what he was doing. When Vince gave Howard his first kiss, the Northerner had been frozen in place and completely awkward. That was how Howard dealt with new experiences.
“Have you done this before?” Vince asked, dearly hoping he was wrong. Howard couldn’t have found someone in Denmark. He couldn’t pull in a room full of horny grans.
Howard’s guilty expression was answer enough.
“Well then, Romeo. I’ll expect you to last longer than a minute,” Vince snipped as he guided Howard’s cock back inside. Howard was a big guy and he felt even bigger in their current position, but Vince refused to take a moment to adjust. If Howard was fucking his way through Denmark, Vince wasn’t about to act like a nervous virgin.
“Slow down, Little Man,” Howard insisted. “You’ll hurt yourself.”
“I think I can take it,” Vince spat back, furious that Howard was being so competent about the whole thing. “I’ve been around.”
Howard didn’t argue, he just wrapped his arms around Vince and held him still. Howard was everywhere, holding him together and smelling like safety.
“Are you crying?”
“I’m not crying, am I?” Vince yelled as he wiped the tears from his face. “I’m probably having an allergic reaction to your ugly shirt.”
“I didn’t… I didn’t go through with it,” Howard murmured directly into his ear. “It was awful, actually.”
Vince had to smile. It was so like Howard to not enjoy sex.
“This isn’t awful?”
Howard smiled.
“This is nice.”
Vince kissed Howard’s forehead. He was finally relaxing and able to truly enjoy having Howard inside of him. The slightest movement made his eyes cross. He usually liked the idea of being a bottom more than the reality, but it felt good when he was feeling safe and at ease and he really only felt that way with Howard.
Howard kissed Vince’s collarbone and chest, tickling and scratching him with his mustache.
It took a few tries to find the right position, but eventually Vince had a foot on a decorative trash can and he was able to move himself with ease. Howard stroked his back and offered him vague encouragements.
“Hmmm… Okay there, Vince,.. Vince?”
“Tell me when you’re close to coming. If I don’t time it right, I’ll get a leg cramp.”
“Really, Vince?”
Vince rolled his eyes, “You’ve got your cock in my arse, I thought we could talk about these things.”
And then, finally, Howard kissed him on the lips. It wasn’t much more skilled than the first time around, but Howard was certainly more relaxed. Vince was hardly moving, but he was already getting close. He ground his cock into Howard’s tummy as they kissed and let Howard pick up the slack.
“Okay, Vince. I’m… well…”
Vince didn’t need to be told twice. He held on tight and gave Howard everything he had. Howard kept trying to put his head on Vince’s shoulder.
“I want to see your face when you come, Howard. Let me watch you.”
Howard promptly dug his fingers into Vince’s hips and obliged. His face was red and a stray lock of hair was stuck to his sweaty forehead. He looked a little feral and crazy, but also a little lost.
Vince brushed his hair back into place.
“You look handsome.”
Howard kept his eyes squeezed closed as he laughed. When he was done shaking, Howard kept his eyes cast downward as he stroked Vince’s still hard cock. No matter how long they were friends, there was always a lingering shyness in Howard that Vince never understood.
Vince kissed Howard until he came in his friend’s hand and on his shirt.
“Well, now it’s a party. Can I finally burn that shirt?” Vince teased even as he reached for a flannel to clean the fabric.
“Never! This is my lucky shirt. I might have it framed.”
Vince ran his fingers through Howard’s hair, enjoying his friend’s docile, post-orgasmic mood.
“So, you gonna tell me about what you got up to in Denmark?”
Howard’s shoulders immediately sagged, and Vince pulled his worn-out friend into a hug.
“You can tell me, Howard. You can tell me anything.”